Self-spinning top.



0. R REAR.

SELF SPINNING TOP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1909.

m ///A V Patented Sept. 7, 1909;

mm l u Q/NVE/VTCR Ollafif'rear ATTORNEYS mums can PHOTDUTNOGRAPNEIS. WASHINGTON n o UNITED srArns PATENT orrroa.

crave a. FREAR, or ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR or ONE-THIRD T0 PALATIAH J. MARSH, or TROY, NEW YORK, AND ONE-THIRD TO FREDERICK o. raw, or ALBANY,

NEW YORK.

- SELF-SPTNNING TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. '7, 1909.

Application filed June 9, 1909. Serial No. 501,009.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Orro E. FREAK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Self-Spinning Top, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. This invention relates to spinning tops such as used by children for amusement.

The object of the invention is to produce a top having means whereby the top may be set to spinning without using the ordinary means for this purpose.

More specifically the device comprises a holder for a top, having a resilient member which is adapted to be engaged by the top, and which may be twisted so that in releasing the top it will exert a spinning force.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figure 1 is a side elevation of a top constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through the top, this view representing the top as held in the holder and about to be manipulated so as to wind up the resilient member; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but representing the resilient member as wound up; Fig. 4: is a vertical section through the holder and the top, but representing the top as having been ejected from the holder sothat it may spin; and Fig. 5 is a cross section upon an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the case or top holder which is in the form of an inverted cup, having a chamber 2 formed in the lower part'thereof, and having a depressible plunger 3 mounted in the upper part thereof. lVithin the chamber 2, the plunger 3 is formed with an enlarged head 4 which is rounded, as shown. The cup 1 is of cylindrical form, and the chamber 2 is likewise of cylindrical form so that the cup presents an enlarged wall. This wall is provided at diametrically opposite points with slots 5 which extend upwardly from the lower edge thereof, as indicated in Fig. 1. Near the upper end of this slot, the outer side of this wall is provided with a circumferential groove 6. Passing through the slots 5 and around one side of the holder lying in the groove 6, I provide a resilient band 7 of rubber or similar material. On account of the manner in which this band is applied it presents a diametrically disposed transverse chord 8. In the lower end of the holder the top 9 seats. This top has a con ical body 10, and on the upper face of the body 10 the top is formed with a hub 11,

which hub fits in the bore of the chamber 2, as shown. Above the hub 11 the top is formed with a cylindrical neck or shank 12 which extends upwardly, as shown, and this shank is formed with a transverse slot 18, as indicated.

In using the top, the top proper is inserted in the holder so that the chord 8 is received in the slot 13 of the shank 12. The top will then be twisted so as to wrap a part of the elastic band 7 around the shank, as indicated in Fig. 1, this places the band under tension so that it tends to twist the top; If the top body is held in the hand so that it cannot rotate, and is then suddenly released, and the plunger 3 is then depressed, the top proper will be ejected from the chamber 2, and as it leaves the chamber it will be given a violent spinning movement by the chord 8. In this connection attention is called to the fact that the head 4 normally rests upon the upper end of the shank 12 so that when the plunger 3, which normally projects above the holder 1, is depressed, it will force the top out of the holder.

It will be observed also that the chord 8 supports the plunger 3 when the top has been ejected, and attention is also called to the groove 6 which assists in holding the band in position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-

1. A device of the class described, comprising a holder consisting substantially of an inverted cup, an elastic transverse chord prising a holderconsisting substantially of an inverted cup, an elastic transverse chord mounted 111 said holder, a top having a "the top front said holder.

shank adapted to engage said-hord so as to twist the same, and means for ejecting;

3. A device off-the lassdescribed, having a holder consisting substantially of .an in, verted cup having oppositely disposed slots in the Wall thereof an elastic member pre-l senting a 'hord passing=through said slots and extending diametrically acrosssaid 0111),. and a top rotatably mountedin said cup andv having-a shank Witha slot-thereinzreceiving saidchord.

4. A-devioe of the classldescribed, having a holder-consisting substantially ;of an .in-i vetted cup having oppositely disposed slots in "the 'wall'the'reof, an elastic member presenting a chord passingthrough said slots and-eicten'din diametrically across'sai'd cup, :a top rotata hly mounted *in said cup and .havinga shank With a slot therein receivname to this specification in the presence of 5 two subscribing witnesses.

OHQDQ E. FREAK. Witnesses v .AnoLnH-J. MART, EREDERIOK ,C. FEW. 

